Can waxing actually take the skin off?

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laurakate

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I could do with a bit more waxing confidence. I always tend to worry about the worst case scenario and could do with some help rationalising something that I worry about and I don't even know if it's actually a possibility or not!....

Could you actually take someone's skin off during a waxing treatment? I know that waxing can burn if it's too hot (test it on yourself first!) and that it can causes bruising if you don't stretch the skin. But is there anything else I need to look out for.

Like could a combination of the wrong temperature and/or technique result in skin being pulled off in a way that causes the skin to be raw and blistered?

Just wanna be more confident with my health and safety. I tend to lean towards being a safety freak but it's something I still really wanna know.

Hope yas can help.
 
Yes. Though it's more a combination of burning and pulling it off. I've done it to myself (decided to wax after I got out the shower as I though ohh it won't hurt as much cause my skin is warm and hair follicles are more open - stupidest idea I've ever had!!)

Absolutely make sure the temperature is correct and pull parallel to the skin not up.

Apply in direction of hair growth too.

Hth with health and safety and getting the most from the treatment x
 
if you apply the wax too thick you could rip skin off too and also if you use a strip over and over and wax builds up on it xx hth
 
My skin has been burnt and ripped off my eyebrows twice now! I've got 2 faint lines under my brows now x
 
It can also happen to people on certain meds especially roaccutane.
Just pay attention to what you are doing at all times and you should be fine.Do your consultation and check nothing's changed at each appointment.
Prep their skin properly.Take heed of how their skin feels is it very dry,cold,sweaty and warm you can change your prep and application to compensate.
 
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Yes, if the wax is too think or too cold.
 
Feeling a bit more worried now as it sounds like there's a lot that could go wrong :S

When I wax I prep skin with pre wax, test temp on myself then on the client. After that I use the speed waxing technique as seen on lori nestores dvd. I then apply post wax.

I start with a new strip just before it begins to look clogged up. I have my wax nearing towards the cooler end of the temperature spectrum for sensitive areas on the face and sometimes the underarms.

I'm always apply with the direction of hair growth and remove against the direction of of hair growth. Sometimes I worry that I'm lifting a little bit "up" rather than "across"....how do I know if I'm doing it right? At college they told us to remove across rather than up but I'm not sure that they actually checked what we were doing that closely(!!!).

I then apply post wax product.

If I cover the whole back of the calf (as seen in lori nestores speed waxing dvd) but if takes me too long to remove the wax, is there a good chance that it could cool, become difficult to remove and then there being a risk of me taking the skin off?

Need to get good at the treatment but there's not really anyone I can practice on! So frustrating!!!

Edit: I will reeeeally try to find someone I can practice on coz I guess that's the way forward. Thing is though, what are the odds of getting into a situation where the skin actually WILL come off. I mean, how bad would you actually have to be?
 
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Yes, if the wax is too think or too cold.

So regardless of client/body part, is it always best to have the wax as warm as is tolerable (rather than towards the cooler end of the temperature spectrum)?
 
My skin has been burnt and ripped off my eyebrows twice now! I've got 2 faint lines under my brows now x

This has happened to me before! It was actually when I was training and then the next day my brows looked like they had used wax that was too hot...I remember it going on and thinking "Woah I could do with this being a bit cooler" but I just put it down to being a wuss at the time.

Anyways, the next day I had red marks around my brows and had to get some aloe vera gel!

I'm guessing it shouldn't be too hot when waxing brows?

Thanks for all your answers so far everyone! :)
 
It would depend how quickly you can speed wax and what wax you are using not all waxes suit speed waxing as they do tend to set on the skin.Also temperature of there skin is a factor if they are cold then covering large areas I one go may not be very effective.
I do think you are worrying unnecessarily though of course things can go wrong but they rarely do.If you really feel such a lack of confidence maybe do some more training maybe with Kim.
 
Get to know your product so you don't need to test the wax on yourself every time. I haven't tested wax in years because I know exactly by looking at it. Wax that is too cool can cause as many problems as wax that is too hot. Start by doing that.

Then I never take my eyes of the very area that I'm waxing, so you can see straight away if anything looks dodge.

Then make sure that your stretch, rub and rip are strong and that you pull the wax off flat and not upwards.

Never let a client intimidate you. You are the expert. If they were any good, they'd be doing it at home themselves. Act confident even if you're dying inside. x
 
Never let a client intimidate you. You are the expert. If they were any good, they'd be doing it at home themselves. Act confident even if you're dying inside. x
...Kim love this, am going to have these words tattooed on my inner arm xxxx
 
Thanks everyone :)

I am such a safety freak. When I trained I felt kinda silly asking so many questions so thanks for answering so many of them (In a learning environment, I understand that Q and A should be encouraged but there you go).

On the one hand I guess it's like driving in that (in my opinion), the safer drivers are the ones who are more cautious and think about cause and effect more rather than being over confident.

I think the way forward would be more practice and/or training but I am reeeeally stuck fo anyone to practice on. Do yas think that waxing my own underarms will help me to get more familiar with the product and how it feels?
 
Yes, I think it's ok to practise on yourself. I know we can't stretch the skin that well on ourselves, but at least you'll get to see what the wax feels like. Whether it's too hot or too cold.
I wish you lived a bit closer to me, we could practise on each other, as I am also in a stage of perfecting my wax technique.
 
Get to know your product so you don't need to test the wax on yourself every time. I haven't tested wax in years because I know exactly by looking at it. Wax that is too cool can cause as many problems as wax that is too hot. Start by doing that.

Then I never take my eyes of the very area that I'm waxing, so you can see straight away if anything looks dodge.

Then make sure that your stretch, rub and rip are strong and that you pull the wax off flat and not upwards.

Never let a client intimidate you. You are the expert. If they were any good, they'd be doing it at home themselves. Act confident even if you're dying inside. x

kim,i love it haha,such good advice :)x
 
dont worry

when you have pre waxed make sure skin is dry

always test wax on yourself, and yes better to be slightly warmer than cooler

dont apply too thick and whilst you are training dont be afraid to use more strips so as not to build up too much wax on the strip

once your confidence is up and you have had more practice then you can use strips more

i always say do your own!!far better that you make mistakes on yourself!! once you have conquered doing your own legs then move on to underarms and bikini!!if you cando your own successfully you can do anyone! hth
 
I once had a friend come round for dinner. She just happened to need a 1/2 leg wax so, having a salon at the bottom of the garden, sorted it for her.

Anyhooo, a few hours later when we were totally pissed we forgot about the wax & jumped in the hot tub. Whole layer of her skin came off on her legs. Being well oiled it took us a while to work out why then we remembered......'didn't I wax your legs earlier? Durrr, can't remember, I think so'......

So proves the importance of aftercare.

X
 
I once had a friend come round for dinner. She just happened to need a 1/2 leg wax so, having a salon at the bottom of the garden, sorted it for her.

Anyhooo, a few hours later when we were totally pissed we forgot about the wax & jumped in the hot tub. Whole layer of her skin came off on her legs. Being well oiled it took us a while to work out why then we remembered......'didn't I wax your legs earlier? Durrr, can't remember, I think so'......

So proves the importance of aftercare.

X

Ouch! So you finished the wax and then got in the hot tub or she actually got into the hot tub with wax on her still?

Why would this make the skin come off?
 
We finished the waxing first, we were not that drunk that I would allow her to get in the hot tub with wax still on her. We got in the tub about 3 hours after I had waxed her legs.

The aftercare states no hot baths or heat treatments following waxing. I am well aware of this but as stated, we got drunk and forgot. The resulting skin peeling off is obviously the consequence.

I'm sorry I'm not being rude but daft questions like 'did she get in the hot tub with the wax still on her legs' is why I really don't bother posting on this site anymore.

I'm off again. Byeee
 
We finished the waxing first, we were not that drunk that I would allow her to get in the hot tub with wax still on her. We got in the tub about 3 hours after I had waxed her legs.

The aftercare states no hot baths or heat treatments following waxing. I am well aware of this but as stated, we got drunk and forgot. The resulting skin peeling off is obviously the consequence.

I'm sorry I'm not being rude but daft questions like 'did she get in the hot tub with the wax still on her legs' is why I really don't bother posting on this site anymore.

I'm off again. Byeee

2 drunk people, a waxing treatment and a hot tub. Tis anyones guess.

No worries.
 

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